Joining the Avengers
by EmilyJames72
Summary: I don't own any of these characters. What happens when Esme Williams helps Captain Rogers when he's saving a city? Where will the path take her? What are her powers? How did she get them? How will her past effect her, on her own and around others?
1. The Black Figure

From ever since I remember I've always been different. That's all I ever tell people. It's probably all I ever will tell people.

"Welcome, Esme, to the Avengers tower." Black Widow announced. "Also known as Stark Tower." Iron Man chips in. "Oh whatever." Black Widow responds. "Guys, we have a bogey on the tenth floor." Hawkeye screams over the intercoms. We all rush up to the tenth floor. I see a figure dressed in a black metal suit. He fired towards up and Captain America dismisses the bullet with his shield. Black Widow runs off in the opposite directions, presumably to take the figure out from behind. Iron Man fires towards to the figure. But, it's too late. A bullet fires straight towards the middle of my chest. I can't breath...

I wake up panting and sweating. My brown hair is soaked through in sweat. I panic and thrash around in my bed. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. I keep telling myself the same one line until I can feel my heart rate slow down. I've only ever had this dream once before. But, this is the only dream that has felt truly real. I trick myself into believing that a group of people like the Avengers would see me as important enough to invest their time into me. Its a stupid idea. I need to stop thinking about it. I get up off my bed and walk into the bathroom of the youth hostile I'm staying in. I see the mold that takes over most of the ceiling. Only ever gets worse, never better. I turn the tap on and splash cold water in my face. I look at the clock that is pasted onto my bedroom wall. Just gone 7am. I get dressed, putting my usual dark navy t-shirt on with black jeans and a black jacket. I hear the sound of my stomach churning. Nothing to churn. I decide to take what little money I have and I walk out into the fresh brisk air. I stumble along the street, avoiding as many people as I can, I find the corner shop in which I buy any food I can afford. I pick up a sandwich without looking at the flavor and I walk up to the counter. "Hello Esme, your usual sandwich then?" Says the shop keeper. "Indeed, what else would I get?" I answer. Just as I am handing over my copper change I hear that sound of hundreds of screaming people. Then smashing glass. And guns firing. I drop what I have and run outside. I see people running frantically all over the place. That's when I see him. Them. The black figure from my dream. There must be at least two dozen of them." They look exactly how they appear in my dreams. I scream at people to run, not knowing why I am walking towards them rather than away. I suddenly see the black figures dropping one by one. Captain America. Iron Man. Black Widow. Hawkeye. Falcon. I'm seeing things I think to myself. The Avengers aren't really here right now are they? They can't be? I think of running but don't my eyes are fixed. I watch the Avengers take down the creatures. I hear a grunting from behind me and I turn to see the black figure pointing it's gun towards me. "This is not going to end like my dreams." I say to myself and I hold my hands out in front of me. Before I know it the figure is knocked towards the ground and is glowing blue from my touch. It's like electricity, that's how I think of it. I hear grunting again but not the same as what I just heard from the black figure. I turn to see the Avengers, each overcome by their own figure. I turn to find Captain America, he's always been my favorite. I suddenly realize that it is him that I can hear grunting and he is completely over powered by creatures. I run towards the figures and get there in no time. I thrash and punch before using the electric blue on the figures. I look around seeing who is my next victim. Captain America pushes himself off the wall that he had been pinned upon. "T-T-Thankyou." He says between breaths. "Who-Who are you?" I looks at him wondering if I was dreaming, I pinch myself. This can't be real. "Esme Williams, no-one special. I should go. Let you get-get on." I rush off in the other direction. "Wait-Wait. Esme!" I hear Captain America call from behind me. I stop and turn. "Your hands." He says pointing to them. I hold them up and look at them. They are glowing with their blue electricity. "Yeah?" I say, confused and concerned that he noticed. "I think you should come with me." He says. "Where?" I say getting more confused by the second. "To the tower." He says.


	2. Electric Blue

I stand there, in the middle of the street. I look too Captain America and then back to the damage around me. Glass everywhere. Fire and debris everywhere. "But, why? I don't understand." I say half pleading. "Your hands." He sighs. "They're like Wanda Maximoffs. I think you know that, somewhere inside you." I looks around. "Just because you think that I should go with you doesn't mean that anyone else does." I say starting to panic about what could happen. "I can hold my ground again Tony Stark. And the rest of them." I sigh and look at him. "Well, I have no where else to be." I follow the Captain towards the group of Avengers. I stop dead in my tracks. The Captain notices and falls back to my side. "They will be fine, just let me talk to them and explain." I nod and follow him towards the group. "Who's the pretty girl you've picked up Cap?" Tony Stark asks. "I think we need to take her back to the tower." He looks at me. "She needs to see Nick." The others look at him. "You're going to have to give me more than that Cap." Stark says. "Her hands." Is all he says. The rest look at each other and nod their heads. Before I know we are all heading towards the Avengers tower.

The Avengers all gather in a room. The door opens and in walks Nick Fury. This can't be happening. It really can't. "Whats this about Captain Rogers?" The Captain stands up and clears his throat. "When we were going after the Hydra agents I got caught up and this girl ran towards me, at great speed and after taking one on by herself, and used her hands to take them on. Her hands glowed blue, like electricity running through them. It's like Wanda's." He looks towards Wanda. "I had a vision, in the vision I saw the Hydra agents and then the blue electricity. Then I saw a girl, I couldn't see the face but -" I look down towards my hands and see the blue electricity that they are talking about. Wanda sees me looking down. "Show them." I look up at her. "Show them." She says again, this time with my passion in her voice. I hold my hands up slowly. A few people gasp. "I see." Fury says before turning around. A few seconds later her spins back around. "You, Miss Williams, can stay in the building until I have decided what we are going to do. If you wish to, you may contact your family and give them some reasoning for you staying in the tower." He says before he leaves. "Whelp, good thing I have a spare room in this tower isn't it. Seen as the Captain thinks he can bring anyone and everyone into my home." Tony Stark comments. I stand up and follow Stark into a spare room. He leaves me alone and I sit on the floor with my back against the wall. My head falls into my hands and I stay like this for what seems like hours.

I hear a small knock at the door. I turn to face the door and see Captain America, not in his usual star spangled uniform, holding a tray with some food on. He flicks the lights on and closes the door. He places the food next to me. "I feel I didn't introduce myself properly." He says sitting on my bed. "I don't think you really need one do you Steve Rogers?" I say looking at him. "Why have you brought me here? What is so important about Wanda's vision?" He looks away. "What Wanda didn't tell you in the meeting was that in the vision, after she saw you, Hydra came and took the person who possessed the electric blue. They took it and used it for mass destruction. On your own, the chances of that happening were very high, however with the protection and training from the Avengers you can be protected." He sighs. "Nick already knew about Wanda's dream." He looks back to me. "Why didn't you tell me before? Why wasn't it spoken about in the meeting?" I ask starting to panic and get annoyed. "We came to the agreement that for a civilian to be told that they have a high chance of dying might be quite distressing for some so we decided that one of us would inform you after the encounter in the meeting." Steve says trying to look sympathetic. "I can't stay here." I say. "What? Do you have family? A job?" I shake my head slowly. "I just can't stay. Nobody in the Avengers would want to be seen adopting a tramp from the shit end of the city would they?" I say looking towards him. I stand up. "You were poor?" He says, not sounding surprised or shocked. "I lived in a Youth Hostile. If you don't mind I'd like to keep that stuff to myself." He nods his head. "I'll leave you. You know, you aren't being locked in this room. If you want to come out you can. There will mostly always be someone in the living room area just down the corridor." He says before he leaves. I don't even know what's happening anymore. This stuff just doesn't happen. Not to me.


	3. Phantom

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c9b696937fff5055d07f5af48844160b"Slowly, I drift off into some form of sleep. Quickly, I am awoken by a firm knock at my door. I rub my eyes and call out. "Yes?" In walks a thin figure with red hair. I sit up on my bed. Black Widow. Also known as Natasha Romanoff. "I don't think I need to introduce myself do I?" I shake my head. She sits down on my bed next to me and hands me a large bag. "We look about the same size. You and Wanda too. We collected a few items of our clothing for you. Seen as you appear to have been caught and dragged here with only one outfit." She looks towards me. "Umm-Thankyou." I say smiling a little. "Thankyou, Natasha." I say finding my confidence. "Look I don't really know one hundred percent whats going on here but I guess unless it was really important Nick wouldn't keep you here. There is a meeting with everyone tomorrow at 0900 hours. Don't be late." She exits my room and I fall back into my deep sleep./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a9f1574e324441aa94747a4770f55783"I wake up to yet another knock at my door. I groan and look at the small alarm clock next to my bed. Ten past eight. Great. Today I am told whether I can go back to my normal life or not. I then remember there is someone at the door. "Come in." I say pulling myself from the bed. "Only me." Steve Rogers says as he enters the room. "Get dressed, I'll wait outside." I sigh as he closes the door. Great, I'm going to get bossed around now I am in this dump. I chuckle to myself. I am calling the Stark tower, the place that has has a good million pounds spent on it, a dump. I change into some black jeans and a red top. I put on a grey jacket and open the door. Sure enough Steve is stood their waiting. "Sorry how rushed that was, you are coming for breakfast with the rest of us. I want you to get to know them a little. Well, us to you." I smile at him and we start our walk to the dining room. "Did you sleep well?" He asks me. I nod my head and look at the ground. "Don't talk much do you?" I shake my head. "No, I normally do. Just not when I have been taken into this place being told I'm special." He looks at me about to say something but then realizes that we are in the dining room. Ever eye is upon me. Everyone is there. Vision, Wander Maximoff, Tony Stark, Thor, Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, Sam Wilson, James Rhodes, Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9a35c17af4b854343cd10372c654953a""I know you guys already know who this is but her name is Esme Williams." Steve says smiling at me. I dismiss the smile and smile towards everyone else. "Hello Esme." Clint says smiling at me and pulling the chair out next to him. "Please join us." I sit with Avengers and eat my breakfast. I find that they are actually quite good company. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a62541b7d88d08ccf08f535005c53944"When the time for the meeting finally rolls around I panic. As we walk towards the meeting room I wipe my hands down my trousers trying to relieve them from sweat. It doesn't work. I can feel my heart beating too fast and I have to slow my pace of walking down a touch before I collapse. I look over towards Steve just to see where he is and he smiles at me in a reassuring way. I follow suit. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="78002b5d5e101571db524fffde1ac79a""Esme Williams." Nick Fury begins. "I have looked into Wanda's vision and have done my research, with the help of the Avengers and the science department. It appears that this could be a very real threat, you being taken and used as mass destruction. And even if it isn't you have great powers that could be of use to the Avengers." I look towards the other Avengers that are sat around the table with me. "So what conclusion did you come to Nick?" Asks Clint. "The girl is practically ripping the skin of her hands." He says. "Well, Barton, if you didn't interrupt me then I would be able to tell her." He pauses and shifts his focus back to me. He paces towards me. "Esme Williams. We want you as an Avenger. You will be trained by the current Avengers and then you will become the Phantom." I look blankly at him. "Like most of our Avengers they have a name they follow as a superhero. We went for a basic one for you and that is Phantom. If you have any possessions that you wish to claim please go now." He says and turns away. "This meeting is at an end, you're training starts tomorrow." We all then disburse over the tower. I blindly walked back to my room in a complete haze. I have to possessions. I own nothing. Nothing at all.../p 


	4. Schedule

I sit in my room for hours and hours, finally I get bored and go in search of some form of company. As I walk out my room I see Steve walking towards me. "Ah, just the person I can to find. Could you come with me for a bit?" He asks politely. "Where?" I ask curiously. "Nick made us put a schedule together for you." I moan and look away. "Not like that, not entirely anyway." I look back towards him and raise an eyebrow. "Well, we had to put one together for your training, I'm sure you wont need much but-" I look away and raise mu eyebrow again. "Are you always so polite?" I ask him. "Why? Was my prediction wrong?" He asks smiling. I nod my head. "Very." We both laugh and walk into the living room.

"We want you to be able to use combat skills and we want you to be able to control your electric blue." Natasha says from across the room. "Mondays you will be training in physical fitness. Tuesdays you will be with me and Natasha and we will help with you combat skills. Wednesday you and Wanda will try and control your power and then the rest of the week is yours. Of course the training is only in the morning for two hours or so. If you want extra help there are plenty of other days in the week." Steve explains. I sigh and sit down on the couch next to Clint. "Is that okay?" Steve asks me. "Well, seen as I don't really have a choice I won't answer that question." I look away from everyone. "Someone doesn't like being told what to do?" Says Tony from across the room. I didn't even realize he was here until I heard his voice. "If you don't like it then you're going to suffer." He continues. I press the palms of my hands into the couch and press down hard to control my answer. "Or is someone just in a bad mood today? Did we take you away from your boyfriend? Girlfriend? Did you actually have a life?" He chuckles slightly. Somewhere in the room, someone has been telling him to cut it out but as I wasn't paying that much attention to them I don't know who it was. "Don't forget this is my tower, I own it." I stand up and turn to walk into what is currently my room, before I get there I see out the corner of my eye that I have left two hand prints in electric blue. Great. Now they really think I can't control my anger.

Steve knocks and enters into my room and I just look at him. "Why do you keep trying with me? Stop trying with me it's useless. Can't you tell I'm not good with people? I shut them out. I don't let me in. Nobody ever tries with me, so why are you?" I say slowly raising my voice. "Well maybe it's time someone did try, huh?" He says before leaving my room. A couple of minutes later I hear another knock at my door. I don't recognize it. "Yeah." I say and Wander walks into my room. "I'm going to try now." She closes the door and sits next to me. "Whether you like it or not." I looks at her. "I saw the hand prints. That used to happen to me. But I can control it now. It's easy when you get used to it. Honestly, it is." I look away, feeling my eyes tear up. "I'm sure it is." I croak. "I-um-thankyou for trying with me but could I be alone for a bit please?" I say. It take a moment of staring at each other until she gets up and leaves. I then dive into my bed with tears making them damp. I can't control things. I can't. I can't. I know this. I know this for a fact.


	5. Training

I awake the next morning with that horrible wet feeling in my eyes. I roll over at look at my clock. I have to be in the training room with Steve in ten minutes. I throw on some shorts and then I rummage through the bag to see if there is a sports bra in there. I don't know what I was expecting, because of course there wasn't. I rummage through the bag again and try to find a tighter tank top. This I was more successful in doing. I place the tight tank top over myself. I brush my teeth and use the toilet. I walk out my room and into the kitchen and grab a bottle of water. I see Steve waiting by the elevator. He is wearing jogging bottoms a a white t-shirt. "You ready?" I nod my head and we enter the elevator and go to to the training room. "You might find this is the most intense you will ever find." I nod my head. "Are you alright, Esme?" I nod my head and dismiss him. "I'm just...tired." I try make up a convincing excuse. "You're strong and fast, right?" Steve asks. "Yes." I answer. "How is your cardio? How long can you run for?" He asks as we get to the training room. "Not very, that's the thing I lack in most. That's what I need your help with." He nods his head and walks over to a treadmill. "Let's get started then."

The next day I awake with a positive mind. Last night I managed to go out and buy some more sports kit. Two tanks tops, two pairs of short, jogging bottoms, a t-shirt and two sports bras. I didn't pay for it myself, of course. Natasha forced me to go out after what she saw how I looked when I went to train that morning. She bought it when she realized that I wouldn't be able to pay. I put on a t-shirt and jogging bottoms and one of my new sports bras. I clean myself up and grab a bottle of water and wait for Steve and Natasha by the elevator. "Goodmorning Esme." I hear Steve say. "Clint asked if he could watch and see if he could help our, he clearly doesn't trust me or Natasha, but I said you wouldn't mind. You don't do you?" I shake my head. "I don't mind." We all cram into the elevator. "So, how's your punching Esme?" Clint asks. "Well, she didn't miss once when we were on the punching bags yesterday. It got me quite scared at how hard they were is well." Steve says smiling. "Could you also teach me how to shoot? Like shoot well?" I ask trying to chip into the conversation.

I woke up on Wednesday, not looking forward to ti as much. This is by far going to be the hardest day out of the three". I hear a gentle knock at my door. Steve. "Yes." I say scrambling out of bed. "Hey, goodmorning." He says smiling in my direction. "Hey." I say. "You ready for today?" I nod my head. "It's going to mentally be draining isn't it?" I ask. Steve nods his head. "If you want me to come with you is well, just say." I nod my head. "I have to do a few things for an hour, I will try and pop in for a bit." He turns. "Good luck." He then leaves my room. I get dressed wearing a pink t-shirt with black shorts. I pull on a black jacket and get a drink of water and go to the training room. I see Wanda sat there waiting for me. "You ready?" I shake my head to start with, then I nod my head. "We have to start somewhere. So, honestly what do you find annoys you the most?" I look away and look back towards her. "High pitched evil laughing, if you know what I mean?" I say looking toward Wanda, we both have a laugh at this. But all of a sudden at the end of the room I see a video on a TV screen. A girl is laughing in the most hysterical way. I feel the anger and annoyance building up inside me. Before I can have any commands given to me I have shot my electric blue towards the screen. It blows up with one swoop. "That-" Wanda says standing up "-is exactly what I am going to teach you not to do. You need to be able to control what you do with this." She hands out her hands to show off the red flames from her hands. "Control what you move and control what you destroy. I've done it. So can you." Wanda then plays the video again and I clench my fists. I feel the electricity burning round my hands I close my eyes and do the best I can not to lose my temper. I pull my hands up towards the screen, they stay clenched in a fist and I don't lose my temper. I pull my hands down back to my side but keep them clenched. "That's enough Wanda, turn it off." I hear a gentle voice say. I turn around and open my eyes. Steve. "You handled that well then Esme?" He says. "Not really, but I guess it was better than my first." I say pointing towards the burnt TV. We all burst into a fit of laughter. I guess this might not be as bad as I first though.


	6. Truck

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7fd0904624508df943ecef67b60a0599"I've been training with the Avengers for a few months now. I say training but really I only trained for about two weeks and then it was just keeping up the skills I already knew. I have grown fond of the Avengers, I have got to know them well. And they know me well. I love them all. Even Tony!/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9c2b8c9b6b8a8568ec01685696604f74""You ready?" Steve says walking into my room. "It's only a basic mission, should be easy." I nod and smile. "I can't believe I get to do this." I say and follow him out the room. I walk into the meeting room to see all my fellow Avengers. "Esme, Steve, Wander, Clint, Sam and Natasha. I want you to go out and do this. The rest of you suit up and stay on call in case they need backup." Nick Fury commands. "I expect this done quickly. It shouldn't take long. Wait till the truck is on a clear road then grab the Hydra agents from inside. Bring back the plans they have in the back of the van. We have been following the route they will take for months now, so DON'T mess it up!" Nick commands before dismissing us all. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9c81d7ac46575f0417659f156777c1fe"I 'suit' up wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans. I put a dark blue jacket on over the top and put my guns in my pocket. Back up plans. I walk out to find the rest of the gang and I see them waiting for me. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were ready." I say and then all look at me. "It's fine, are you sure you're ready?" Clint says looking at me. I nod my head and we all disburse to our various look out points. Clint and Wander go together, Sam and Natasha which leaves Steve and I. I take a deep breath in. I nod my head. "Cap, the truck it's driving like a mad man!" I hear Clint scream over the radio. "Wander tried to stop it but she got shot at and couldn't slow it fast enough." Clint screams trying to watch his breath in between words. "Cap! They're heading for a row of house and we can't stop them!" Natasha now screams. Steve and I are running to the location of the houses now. I see the truck and immediately throw my hands in front of myself trying to stop the truck. The electric blue flows from me and towards the wheels. "It's slowing but not fast enough." Captain Rogers screams. I hear guns fire off towards the car and I put all the effort I can into trying to get the electric blue, which has always seemed so powerful, to work in stopping it completely. "The agents are down." Sam says over the intercom. I scream out in pain from the electric blue. I hear the truck grind to a halt inches from the fences of the houses. My knees give way and I collapse into the ground. I feel Steve run towards my side. "Sam, get inside the truck now. Secure it from the agents and get the plans!" He screams before he drops to his knees. "I'm fine Steve, go. I'm following." I say standing up. We both run together towards the back of the truck. When we get there Sam has taken down the three agents that were in the back. He is looking at a computer screen. I climb up into the truck and see what Sam is looking at. The other's join me. I then feel all their eyes on me. I read what the computer screen says. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555; text-align: center;" data-p-id="7f7045ceed403d095c3a98bfc6233224"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Name: Esme Williams/em/span/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555; text-align: center;" data-p-id="bf46bd0ea237d5526dbc4f907496bc03"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Task: Bring alive to Hydra headquarters, unharmed./em/span/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555; text-align: center;" data-p-id="0f5b072023c920c3413a7333f7eba535"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Further tasks: Stripped of magic then tortured until killed./span/em/p  
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	7. The Past

I punch the bag hard, I knock it side to side. I thrash my body into it. I feel the heat burning my face. I feel the hot screaming down my face. I punch again and again and again. I hit so hard the next time, the punching bag flies across the room. I drop to the floor. "Esme?" I hear a voice call to me from the other side of the room. Steve runs across the room and drops to my side. "Your hands." He says with a gulp. I look down at my knuckles and see that they are red and bloody from punching. "Let Bruce bandage them?" He says picking up my hands. I shake my head and I feel the tears roll onto my lap. "Let me then, please?" He says, his voice pleading. I pull my hands away. Steve stands up and goes towards the first aid box. He picks it up and opens it up, he grabs two bandages and finds some antiseptic. He walks back over to me. One by one he picks my hands up wipes antiseptic over them, then carefully wraps a bandage around them. "What's going on Esme?" He says. "Is it about the plans we found?" He says as he finished the first bandage. I shake my head. "Please, Esme. What's going on?" I shake my head and look into his eyes. I see his eye plead for answers. "I haven't told anyone here about my childhood." Steve looks down to my hands and finished off the second bandage. "Talk to me Esme." He says gently stroking my hands. I look down to my hands under his and pull them away.

"I never stayed in one school for very long." I start. "The other kids would annoy me, so I'd get annoyed with them." I pause trying to think of what to say next. "I'd punch them and end up breaking their skin open. I'd kick them and I'd break their bones. I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't understand my strength." I stop and wait for a tear to roll past my mouth. I am surprised when it doesn't fall to my lap. I then realize that Steve has wiped it away with his strong, yet gentle, hand. "When did you realize your strength?" He asked. "When I was about 10 years old I realized what I was doing. So, I stopped the strength and I got it under control. However, somehow one of the kids at my school found out about my past. He went to the head teacher after falling over badly. He cut his knee open. When to the head teacher and blamed me. The next day he did it again. Then went to the head teacher. It got to a point where I completely lost it." I stop and gulp loudly. "Esme?" He says. "I was in the middle of the play ground and the head teacher came to tell me off for something this kid had said that I had done. I lost it. I started screaming. I punched the kid. Broke his left arm. The I got his neck...the blue in my hand shock his neck. He collapsed onto the floor and.." I wipe away a tear. "Well, he turned out to be fine. But his parented got me sent to some kids asylum for three years. When I got out I realized that my parent had become alcoholics. They'd end up hitting each other every night. They were happy when I came home and the drinking stopped for a while." I choke on my words. "It didn't stop for long did it?" Steve says looking at me. I shake my had. "Two weeks. Then they started hitting me when they drunk. I was fine with it. Until one night it got particularly bad. I lost it. I did the same thing that I had done with the little kid. But I didn-" I stop and my whole body tremors. "I didn't stop." I say and look at the ground. "I got away and they were left there. I don't know how I got away with it. I think the old asylum had something to do with it but I'm not too sure." I say wiping my eyes. "That's-umm- why I was living on my own." I say. I contain my tears and look towards Steve. "Esme-" He starts but I can't do it. I fall into a fit of tears, they don't stop. "Come here." I hear Steve say as he pulls me close towards his body. "I had no idea." He says. "You didn't have to tell me." He says. "I-I" I look up at Steve. "Please, don't." I say and Steve lets go of me. "That's not what I meant Steve." He looks at me confused. "Be quiet and hold me. It's nice." I say between tears. Steve and my lips seem to connect without us realizing. We suddenly hear a shuffle behind us. "Steve? Esme?" We hear Natasha's voice and we both jump up. Steve quickly wipes his lips and I wipe my eyes. "Don't, don't tell anyone please." Steve blushes and says. "About the kiss. Or me crying." I say blushing. "I'm in too much shock to tell anyone." Natasha says laughing.


	8. Awkward

The next morning I wake up and walk into the living room to try any find someone. The place seems absolutely dead. I walk around for a bit and then I heard a noise coming from the kitchen. By the time I get there whoever it was has disappeared. I heard a door close just down the hallway from where my room is. I walk towards the corridor and knock on Steve's door, to check if it was him. I heard him call out for me to come in so I do so. He looks up from his book, his drawing books, and closes the book quickly. "Hey." He says standing up. "Hey." I reply. "Look, about what happened yesterday-" He looks at me and seems to know what I am about to say. I carry on anyway. "-don't um tell anyone about what I told you, or that I um cried." I pause. "Or that we kissed." He looks away and then looks back at me. "Of course. I wouldn't." He looks into my eyes. "Sometimes we have to go through these sort of things, like what you told me yesterday, to make us the better people." I look at him and raise an eyebrow. "Nobody here knows about it and they see you for the amazing woman that you are." I look away until he starts talking again, then I look back. "You told me, and I don't see you in any other way than what I did before." He pauses and looks down. "You were a kid." He looks up. "Nobody can control what kids do. If they are going to do something, they're going to do it. Kids don't like being stood up to. I look away and turn my back, about to leave. "I'm sorry about the...um...you know..the...kiss." I pause and turn around. "I don't want either of us to dwell on it. It would be unprofessional for us. I um don't want to ruin you're reputation." I say and turn back around and leave the room closing the door behind me.

I go into my room and realize what day it is, Monday. I should be training with Steve on my physical fitness. However, we both seem to know that we need space from each other. I pull on a tank top and shorts and walk down towards the training room. I walk towards the punching bag and start to punch. Ever punch feels like one hundred pins being forced into my hand. I glance down and see the bandages. I forgot about them. I stop, panting, and I pull the bandages off. They are a milky white colour with patched of dried red blood. I wince and I touch gently over them. They are starting to scab but they still look red raw. I sit down and look at them. I sigh and then stand up and walk back to my room and get ready to have a shower.

I sit on my bed thinking through my thoughts. I get lost in them. Anytime I think about them. I hear a knock at the door which brings me out of my daydream. "Come in." I call out, half hoping it isn't Steve. In walks Natasha. "Hey Esme." She says sitting next to me. "We are having a party." I look at her. "Just a few friends, well maybe not a few but-" I interrupt her by saying "Let me guess, Tony organised it?" We both laugh as it painfully obvious that he did. "Now, I know a little about fashion, so for once why do we do something girly? Go shopping?" She says trying to make an effort with me. I look at her for a while. "When's the party?" I ask. "Tomorrow evening." She replies looking hopeful. "Ugh fine." I say regretting my decision. "Great." She says standing up. "Meet me at the car? Ten minutes?" I nod my head and shift on the bed. I finally get off the bed and use the toilet before changing into some black jeans and a blue t-shirt. I pull on some trainers and a jacket. I grab my purse and phone before leaving my room. I walk down the corridor and press the elevator button. When the door opens I see that Steve is already in the elevator. "You going down?" He says looking at me. I nod and get in. "How far?" He says. "All the way." We stand in silence for a minute before he breaks it. "Where you off to?" He says looking at me. I glance back towards him before looking away. "Natasha wanted me to go shopping with her. I think she hopes that she can get me to wear a dress tomorrow at the party." I chuckle and Steve joins in. "She's given herself a hard task then?" Steve answers half questioning. I nod my head and the elevator door opens. "Have fun, Esme." He says smiling at me as we both walk out and go our separate ways.


	9. The Dress

I pull myself into the dress. "Natasha, I don't understand what makes me look good in this dress." I call from the bathroom. I heard her laugh and call back to me. "Stop being so negative." I walk out the bathroom and catch myself in the mirror. The dress hugs my torso and then flares out slightly at the bottom, around my knees. My upper arm is laced with the straps as they curl around me to my back. Overall the dress shows off a lot of my skin. The black, the colour of the dress, really doesn't go on me. Well, I don't think so anyway. "Wow, I'm jealous. I wish I looked that good." Natasha says and she pulls herself in front of my mirror. Her dress is a tight cocktail dress that hugs her in all the right places. The blue brings out her hair colour, but in the best way possible. "I haven't a clue about hair. Do something nice with it will you?" She asks. "Wait! You're leaving me? I have to do my own hair?" She nods her head. "Look, I need to go and make myself look presentable. I'm sure you can do the same sweetie." She says laughing as she leaves the room. I sigh and look at myself. I walk over to Wanda's room. "Come in." She says after I knock. "Wow, who made you look like that?" She says gawping over the dress. "It's not hard, of course it was Natasha." I say looking at Wanda. "You don't look too bad yourself." I say admiring the red dress that bounces around her. "Anyway, I came here to ask if I could borrow your curlers?" Wanda looks at me like I'm mad. "Do you want me to help you?" She asks, clearly not trust me. "I'm proving to Natasha that I can make myself look half decent. So, no thankyou. But can I borrow them?" I say asking again, this time with a big smile of my mouth trying not to laugh. "Of course, just don't burn yourself." I nod my head and go back to my room.

Natasha knocks at my door. She enters and stands in one spot. I see her mouth drop. "How the hell did you do that?" She says. I panic. "I know, please help. It look crazy. Horrible crazy." She shakes her head. "It looks, amazing." She says closing her mouth. All I did was curl my hair and I put it up using a clip. "Here, put your shoes on. I see you did you're make up to?" She asks looking impressed. I sit on my bed and clip the black heel in. "I have to admit, Wanda did the make up." I say laughing. "Either way, you're going to make a good impression on everyone at the party. It's just a shame about your hands." I look down at them and frown. Whenever I look down at my hands I see the image of Steve gently applying a bandage to my hands and then...the kiss. I snap out of it. I pull my hands in towards me, hiding then. Seconds later I regret it as they start to burn because of the raw skin. I stand up. "Shall we go out?" I say smiling again in a reassuring way. I walk towards the door and grab the door handle. I feel a hand on mine, pulling me back. I wince and the hand lets go. "Are you sure you're alright, Esme?" Natasha says. I nod my head. "Come on." I beg. "We're going to be late."

We walk in together and I grab a drink off the side. Only a small glass of champagne. I see Steve and walk the other side of the building. I stand next to the pool table and watch the game that's going on. Soon I get bored, it was obvious that Sam was going to win, not Tony. Makes a change. I walk over to the corner of the room and sit on the couch. A few minutes later I feel the seat go down as someone sits next to me. I look round and see Clint sitting down next to me. I look at him for a second. "What? I can't sit next to my friend?" He asks and I shake my head. A few minutes later the silence is broken. "What did you do to you're hands? Punch a wall?" He asks. I smile at him to distract him from me pulling my hands close to me and wrapping them up in my dress. He looks down to my hands, that I am trying to hide. He pulls my hands out. He frowns. "Come with me." He says and pulls me up and we walk to the elevator. "Where are we going?" I ask. Before he can answer the question he has pulled me into the hospital ward. "It's fine-." Clint says dismissing the doctors. "-I've got it." He pulls me into a side room and pulls out some bandages. I think of Steve. "Clint-" I say and he hushes me. "Clint, Steve has already done that." I say trying to get him to stop. "I guess you had a hard time with the punching bag didn't you?" I nod my. "Why have you bandaged them back up?" I ask. "They need to heal and be in the open air." Clint stops what hes doing and looks at me. "You know, I've been around a bit. The marks on your hand don't look like you've been in a fight. They make you look like you are trying to self harm. I don't think anyone at this party needs to think that someone on the Avengers are doing that kind of shit." He looks at me. "Don't you agree?" I nod my head. "Now you can tell people that you got hurt in a mission." He finishes the bandages and we walk back to the elevator. "Sorry about that." He says when we get into the walls of the elevator. I shake my head. "It's fine, it's nice to know someone's looking out for me."


	10. Grieving

The next morning I stumble into the kitchen for breakfast and everyone looks at me. "What?" I say looking around the pairs of eyes that I see. "We have a meeting at 10." Clint says looking away. "It's about the plans we found." I look away and the only thing I can think of saying is 'oh'. "I'd completely forgotten about them." I say trying to sound convincing. I begin my walk back down the corridor towards my bedroom. I get to my door and just as I touch the door handle I hear someone jogging behind me. "Esme?" The person says. I turn around to see Steve coming to a slow halt in front of me. "You okay?" He asks. "You can't really have forgotten about the plans, did you really?" He says. I look at him and then look away. "Why are you asking me this?" I say, not wanting to tell him even more about myself. "Esme?" He asks looking concerned. "Fine." I say, throwing my hands up in defeat. "No, I didn't. However, I didn't really want to tell the rest of them." I open the door to my bedroom. "What's the time? Do I have time to get some physical in before the meeting?" I say turning my light on. "Esme, you're not punching any bags. Not until you're hands have healed." I sigh and sit on my bed. I watch Steve carefully as he leans against my door frame. "So, what's the truth." I look away, not able to make I contact. "I was thinking about what I told you. I was able to put it in the past. Until I came here. When Wanda told me about the dream I couldn't handle it for about a week and then I put it behind me again. However, once I saw those plans. I was thinking, maybe it's for the best. Then I can't hurt anyone." Steve looks at me and closes the door quietly. "Look, I know nobody out there knows about what you told me but I am willing to bet any amount of money that they will all stand by what I am about to say. You have learnt to control your powers, you wont accidentally hurt anyone anymore. I know you may grieve over your parents-" when he says the word 'parents' I my starts to curl and I sniff and look up, trying to keep away the tears. "-but everyone grieves for someone. At the moment I am grieving for you. I know I haven't know you long but working here, this job, it forces you to become close. And quickly. I grieve for the Esme that is happy and smiles." I look at him and he smiles. "Anyway, shall we keep the depressing stuff for the meeting?" He says looking at me.

"Are you going to tell anyone about your past"? He says and I play with the sleeve of my jumper. "I don't know." I say looking down. "I can't make that choice for you, but when you're ready I will support whatever you choose." He sighs. His smile turns into a smirk. "I saw you and Clint last night. You know he's a married man." He raises his eye brow. I look away and smile. "It's not what you think." I say standing up. "Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say." I step closer to him. "All it was, he took me to the hospital ward and bandaged my hands." He looks at me and tilts his head. "You hand's need to be kept out so that they can heal." Steve says. I nod my head. "Yeah I know, but when I am around you guys it's fine. You know it's from punching. However, Clint said that people at the party might get the wrong impression because of how they looks." I sigh and take a step back. The smile fades from my face. "He said they could look like self harm." Steve nods his head and the smile fades from his face too. "Look, Esme. Promise me you won't do that." I look up at him from my height to his. He's not much taller but in that moment he seemed to be towering. "Self harm." He says prompting me. I look away and then look back when I am ready to answer. "Of course not."


	11. The Meeting

We all sit around the table waiting. The door opens. In walks Nick Fury, the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Goodmorning." He says looking round at the group of people. "We have come to some form of a conclusion about the plans that were found." He clicks a button and a screen pops up in front of the table and it shows an image of the plans. "We had them thoroughly checked. I don't believe Hydra would be so stupid as to let these plans loose as easily as they were. They were probably placed there for us to find. Then, to panic us." He sighs and clicks the button again and the screen disappears. "Even if these plans are what they intend to do, we will not rise to the level of panic." He looks towards me with his singular eye. "Esme, none of us will let any harm come to you. I know that nobody in this room wants to be locked up while everyone else goes out to fight." I keep the eye contact although I'm pretty sure I know where this is going. I will get told to stay here and be protected. "That is why we aren't going to do that to you." I sigh of relief. "You can go on missions but if I tell you it's not safe for you to go, you MUST listen to me and not go." I nod my head, just happy with the fact that I can still go out.

"So, what's next? What happens now?" I hear Sam ask. I look away and look down at the table. "We carry on as normal. We have a few humanitarian acts that we have been asked to help out with so we start that tomorrow. You are free to go." He finishes and walks out the room. We take a minute. "Well, there we go. Basically, he doesn't know what to do with these so called plans you found. Basically, you are risking your own life every time you leave the building. Basically, we have to risk our lives protecting you. And, basically, now we have to work under Nick Fury because he's taken an interest in you!" Tony says. He started off talking and pretty much ended up shouting. He goes to talk again. "That's enough, Tony." Steve butts in. "Come on, are you being serious? You don't understand do you? You're always blinded." Tony says standing up. "Who here wants to continue risking their lives for Esme?" Tony says looking around. "Who would do that and have to work under Nick Fury?" He says shouting again. Sam stand up. "I don't to work under Nick but I will protect Esme. She is part of the team now." Sam says and he looks towards me. "I've worked under Fury for years now. We don't have to do what we says we only have to take his guidance. We aren't S.H.I.E.L.D we are the Avengers. Whilst some of us still work closely with S.H.I.E.L.D as a collective group he can't control us. I shall go to him and tell him that we are happy to help with his humanitarian acts but we control what we do." Clint says as he stands up and walks out. "So, everyone wants to protect Esme but not work under Fury?" Tony says looking at me. "I guess I either leave or go with it. I guess, I shall just have to protect you then." He says glaring at me. He then walks out and slams the door behind him. "I know what it's like to have to be protected." Wanda says looking at me. "I will do the same for anyone else." Thor, Bruce, Rhodey, Sam, Natasha, Vision and Steve all nod their heads in agreement. I stand up without saying anything and I walk out and down to the training room.

I look down at my knuckles and see the bruises slowly starting to form. I take a deep breath and I wrap bandages around them. I then look at the punching bag and I start to punch. The punches get harder and harder until I have to scream out every time I punch the bag. I continue. Not stopped. I punch and punch and punch. I feel the sweat literally dripping down off my face. I stop for a minute to grab a drink of water and then I continue. When I punch the bag I feel like I am punching out my anger. It helps. I can't control my powers. The only way I can is to let my anger out another way. This seems to be the way. The only way.


	12. Feelings?

I walk up to my room and hop in the shower. Washing away the anger that has built up inside of me. I pull on my usual black shirt and trousers combo and I walk towards the elevator. I get in and press a button. I travel. Up and up. Then I reach the top floor, which is out, and I look around to see nobody there. I look out at the city around me. How do these people put up with me? I destroy their home and I give them a lot of shit, so why do they still keep me? I honestly don't get it. Maybe if I just jumped? Would that make it easier? They wouldn't have to keep fixing their furniture, they wouldn't have to protect me, Hydra couldn't get me or my powers. I think for a moment. I wouldn't have to hide my feeling. I walk over to the low rail. Surrounding me is just grass. Nothing else but grass. But that grass is meters down. There is no way I would survive that. I am about to seriously consider jumping when something moves behind me. I suddenly shift to my left throwing my hands out in front of me whilst turning to see who is pursuing me.

"I hope you're not going to hurt me." Steve says looking at me. I sigh and relax, dropping my hand to my side. "You made me jump." I say sitting on a concrete ledge to my right. Steve sits down next to me. "Esme-" Steve begins but I don't want to hear where it is going. "I was going to jump. I don't know why you always turn up at these moments where you think I am going to do something. Are you stalking me? Why do you keep following me? Did Fury tell you to? Wow, the standards of the Avengers are low-" I start to shout before I cannot speak any more. I don't understand. I can't speak. I physically can't. I physically can't move. I take a minute and indulge into the situation. I feel warm and comforted. I realise that my eyes are closed so I open them. I see Steve. Not sat with the centimetre space that was there before. Up right in front of me. I pull away and realise I was kissing him. "I haven't been told to follow you, and I haven't been following you. But, Esme, ever since you got here I've had a feeling...I haven't had this kind of feeling in, well, let's say a while." I look at him blankly. "Oh, come on. Am I that rubbish at explaining my feelings? Damn, it has been a while." He gets up and turns towards the elevator. "Im sorry, I, forget I said anything." He says. I jump up and grab his arms. I turn him round and return the kiss. "I didn't think you liked me like that. I have never felt this way about someone. I didn't know that what I am feeling is love. That's why I haven't said anything around you. I know that I like your presence and that I like it when we touch but that's about it." I kiss him again. "I like it, I like it a lot. Don't go away please. Please." I say noticing that a tear is now rolling softly down my face. Steve pulls me into his warm embrace. "Esme, I am not going anywhere unless you tell me to. I want you here, just as much as you want me here. I love you Esme. I really do."


End file.
